Multiple station transfer unit



Nov. 24, 1964 G. KLEIMAN MULTIPLE STATION TRANSFER UNIT Filed Aug. 15. 1961 vINVENTOR. 65mm KLE/M/IM BY 9 TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,153,268 MULTHLE ESTATKGN TRANSFER UNIT Gerald Kleirnan, Elizabeth, Nah, assignor to Process Equipment 8; Automation, inc, Linden, NJ, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 131,615 Claims. (61. 214-1) This invention relates to a device or unit for transferring what may be termed a workpiece or element to several stations in a cycle of operation of the unit. More particularly, the invention deals with a unit employing an arm having, at its free end, means for engaging and supporting a workpiece or element to pick up the same at a pickup station and deliver the same to a work station, then to a delivery station and, finally, return to the pickup station in a cycle of operation of the unit.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a unit of the character described, wherein the arm is movable to an intermediate position in momentarily freeing the workpiece or element at the work station, after which, the arm is returned to the work station to again pick up and move the workpiece or element to the delivery station.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic View of a unit made according to my invention, with parts of the construction shown in elevation and in section, parts broken away and indicating different positions of the arm of the unit in dotted lines and, by dot-dash lines, showing other positions assumed by the arm.

FIG. 2 is a broken partial section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 illustrating the workpiece guides at the work station, the side edges of the workpiece being indicatml by dot-dash lines in said figure; and v FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 1 illustrating the workpiece or element with the supporting means of the arm of the unit in engagement therewith.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my improved device or unit, I have diagrammatically illustrated the same in picking-up a pre-punched card at a pickup station for movement of the same, fiISi,-lLO a work or reading station for reading the card, then for releasing the card at a delivery station after the reading operation has been performed; whereupon, the arm returns to the pickup station for engaging and supporting a next successive card then positioned at the station for repeat of the foregoing operation.

In the diagrammatic illustration, ill represents the pickup station. The work or reading station is diagrammatically indicated at 11 and, in the present illustration, this station can include any one of a number of types of perforated card readers and, in the present drawing, a very diagrammatic showing is made of what is known as a Richardson Punched Card Reader. At 12 is shown a third station which, in the present illustration, can be referred to as a delivery station, upon which the read cards are deposited in the cycle of operation of the unit.

In the present illustration, the pickup station consists of a belt or other feed of articles 13 of any types or kind to a predetermined position which would define the station 10, the belt or conveyor means being diagrammatically indicated in section at 14. In delivery to the station 10, the article 15 has supported on the surface thereof a perforated card 15, with a bottom shelf sup- 3,l58,2ii$ Patented Nov. 24, 1954 port, as at 16, on the face of the article and side curved supports, one of which is indicated at 17, the front side support being omitted in order to more clearly illustrate the conception. The supports 17 will be so fashioned as to provide for free passage of the card 15 in the operation of the unit and, for purposes of description, the card 15 will generally be identified as the workpiece or element.

As previously stated, the station 11 comprises the Richardson Reader which has an opening 18 in one wall thereof registering with a chamber 19, at the bottom of which is a plate 2 upon which the workpiece or element 15 is deposited, the plate having a backstop 21 and side guides 22 for definite positioning of the workpiece or element on the plate 20. Spaced above the plate 20 is a member 23 having, on the lower surface thereof, rows of reader pins 24 adapted to register with rows of numerals on the card 15 and perforations on these numerals in effecting operation of the reader when the card is moved upwardly in the direction of the member 23 by the plate 29. This operation can be performed by two or more cams 25 on a shaft 26. With some types of Richardson Readers, the cams are actuated by a manually operated lever at one end of the reader which, in turn, rotates the shaft 26 in movement of the plate 20 upwardly, as previously described.

The type of reader disclosed is modified solely to the extent of providing at ends of the opening 18 workpiece or element guides 27, illustrated in plan in FIG. 2 and one of which is shown in side elevation in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The vertical portions 28 of the guides serve to positively centralize the workpiece such, for example, as the card 15 for passage through the opening and between the side guides 22 of the reader, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, in which figure the dot-dash lines 15 represent the side edges of the card 15. The curved bottom walls 29 of the guides 27 serve to guide the free edge of the card 15 into and through the opening 18 to a position where the free edge strikes the backstop 21 of the reader, as indicated by the dotted line position of the card 15 in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

The station 12, in the illustration given, is referred to as a delivery station and simply comprises a flange table 39, the position of which defining the station can be controlled by means indicated, in part, at 31 to locate the height of the table 30. The workpieces or elements, namely the cards 15, will be deposited on the table, as diagrammatically illustrated, in part, at 32 in FIG. 1. The transfer device or unit comprises a suitable drive member 33, to one end of which is fixed, as at 34, an elongated arm 35 which, in the present illustration, is tubular in form and extends beyond the coupling or support 34 for attachment of a flexible tube 36 therewith so that suction from a suitable source can be created in the tube for operation of the unit, as later described.

At the free end of the arm is what might be termed an elongated pad 36, which can be more generally referred to as the workpiece element engaging and supporting means. The pad 3'7, note FIG. 3 of the drawing, has an elongated passage 33 therein and communicating with the passage and opening through the surface 3% of the pad are two rows of apertures 4%, 41. Considering the small sectioning of the pad 37 in FIG. 1, it will appear that the row 41 in this figure is positioned below the row it) and the section of FIG. 3 if taken through the row 40. The row 41 in the arm 35 is in the dotted line position of FIG. 1 and will register substantially with the space 42 on the member 23 outwardly of the row of pins nearest the aperture 18; whereas, the row as will register substantially with the space 533 between said first row of pins and the next adjacent row of pins, in other words, with the imperforated spaces of the card 15. However, by employ ing the two rows of apertures 4t 41 and keeping in mind that perforations on the card 15 are over spaced areas of the card, a suflicient number of the apertures it), 41 will always be present to effect a suctional grip or engagement of the card by the pad 37 to facilitate movement of the card from the article 13 in swinging the arm 35, first, to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 1, which movement is represented by the dotted arrow 44 of FIG. 1. This brings the card 15 to the dotted position in the chamber 19. At this moment, the suction through the tubular arm 35 is removed and the card 15 is reieased to drop into the dot-dash position indicated at 15" in FIG. 1 or, in other words, supported upon the plate it). The unit is then actuated to move the arm into a position which is represented by the dot-dash line 35 of FIG. 1, completely moving the pad 37 from the chamber 1), after which, the plate 26 is moved upwardly to bring the pins 24 into registering engagement with the perforations in the card 15 to thus effect an accurate reading; whereupon, the plate 20 is lowered, the arm 35 again returned to its dotted line position, the suction re-applied to again pick up the card. Then the same is moved to the delivery station which is represented by the dot-dash lines 35" of FIG. 1 and, at this delivery station, the suction is again removed to free the card for dropping onto the table 3% or I other cards supported thereon.

It is pointed out, at this time, that the two showings of the dot-dash lines 35 are employed to clearly indicate that the positioning of the station 12 is not accurate with the sweep of the arm and it is also pointed out that the ann 35 is shown broken away to clearly indicate that the spacing of the stations 10 and 11 with respect to the operating member 33 is also not accurate. The delivery of the card, workpiece or element at the station 12 need not necessarily be a stop delivery, as this operation could be performed in the movement of the arm from the station 11 to the station 10. However, in MG. 1 of the drawing, 1 have shown the full line arrow 4d representing the return of the arm from the station 12 to the station 1t). it will be understood that, in use, the arm, including the pad 37 at the free end thereof, are properly synchronized with the stoppage of the workpiece at the station 1% so that the pad picks up and engages the card in a manner which will position the same properly in the station 11, the position of which is also synchronized with the station 1% and movement of the arm 35. However, the guides 27 will operate to insure positive positioning of the card in the station 11 and, at the moment of this delivery, the tie gree of suction could be modified to facilitate sliding movement of the card over the surface of the pad. It will also be understood that suitable means will be provided to control actuation of the drive member 33 for positive location of the arm and/ or the pad or other means 37 at the respective stations.

In dealing with various types and kinds of workpieces or elements, the characteristics of the engaging or supporting means 37 on the operating arm will be modified and, in some instances, the movement of the arm 35 to the intermediate position 35 can be dispensed with and the workpiece or element can be maintained supported at the station 11, preparatory to removal therefrom and transfer to the delivery station and, here again, definite means can be employed to effect delivery of the workpiece or element at the delivery station.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus employing a raised pickup station, a Work station lower than the pickup station and a delivery station, a transfer unit for moving a card from the pickup station to the work station and then to said delivery station, said unit comprising a tubular arm having a horizontal axis, a thin suction pad at the free end of said arm for engaging and supporting a card at the pickup station, means for swinging the arm in one vertical plane, means to move the pad and a card supported thereby in said vertical plane from the pickup station to said work station, then to said delivery station and return the pad to the pickup station in one cycle of operation of said unit, means to remove suction from the pad releasing the card from the pad to thereby release the card from the pad at said delivery station, said tubular arm being arranged at one side of said pad, and the other side of the pad having a plurality of apertures therein in communication with the bore of said tubular arm and opening through said other side for establishing suction engagement and support of the card on said pad.

2. A transfer unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for swinging the arm provides a withdrawal and return of the pad with respect to the work station upon removal of the suction from said pad, and then re-applying the suction to the pad in return of the pad to the work station in transferring the pad from the work station to said delivery station.

3. A transfer unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the pickup station includes means for positioning successive cards at the pickup station in synchronized alinement With the pad engaging and supporting successive cards at said station.

4. A transfer unit as defined in claim 2, wherein the card is positioned by the pad between closely spaced Work performing means at the work station, and one of said last named means being movable when the pad is momentarily withdrawn from work station.

5. A transfer unit as defined in claim 2, wherein the the workstation includes means for guiding and definitely positioning the card at said work station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,545,396 3/51 Wahl.

2,811,267 10/57 Bock.

2,842,362 7/58 Hayes 2713 2,941,499 6/ Gutzrner.

HUGO G. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN APPARATUS EMPLOYING A RAISED PICKUP STATION, A WORK STATION LOWER THAN THE PICKUP STATION AND A DELIVERY STATION, A TRANSFER UNIT FOR MOVING A CARD FROM THE PICKUP STATION TO THE WORK STATION AND THEN TO SAID DELIVERY STATION, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A TUBULAR ARM HAVING A HORIZONTAL AXIS, A THIN SUCTION PAD AT THE FREE END OF SAID ARM FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING A CARD AT THE PICKUP STATION, MEANS FOR SWINGING THE ARM IN ONE VERTICAL PLANE, MEANS TO MOVE THE PAD AND A CARD SUPPORTED THEREBY IN SAID VERTICAL PLANE FROM THE PICKUP STATION TO SAID WORK STATION, THEN TO SAID DELIVERY STATION AND RETURN THE PAD TO THE PICKUP STATION IN ONE CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID UNIT, MEANS TO REMOVE SUCTION FROM THE PAD RELEASING THE CARD FROM THE PAD TO THEREBY RELEASE THE CARD FROM THE PAD AT SAID DELIVERY STATION, SAID TUBULAR ARM BEING ARRANGED AT ONE SIDE OF SAID PAD, AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAD HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES THEREIN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BORE OF SAID TUBULAR ARM AND OPENING THROUGH SAID OTHER SIDE FOR ESTABLISHING SUCTION ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF THE CARD ON SAID PAD. 